Chelsea’s voice, crisp and clear with a hint of coolness, struck terror into Thea’s heart.

She knew Chelsea well enough to understand that when she made a threat, she meant it.

"No, you can’t! You can’t hit me..."

Thea shook her head frantically, ignoring the pain as her scalp felt like it was being torn apart. She fell off the bed and began crawling away in desperation. She needed to get out of there, to escape!

As soon as she twisted the door handle, two bodyguards stationed outside blocked her path, shoving her back into the room with minimal force, causing her to stumble onto the carpet.

The two bodyguards...